US doctors win 2025 Prince Mahidol Awards for medicine and public health

2026-01-29 - 12:31

Bangkok — Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Wednesday presided over the presentation of the Prince Mahidol Award 2025 on behalf of His Majesty the King at the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall, the Grand Palace, Bangkok on 28 January 2026. The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation said 47 candidates from 17 countries were nominated this year. Two laureates were selected: Dr. Terry Dean King of the United States for Medicine, and Professor Dr. Walter C. Willett of the United States for Public Health. Dr. Terry Dean King Dr. King, a paediatric cardiologist at Ochsner Children’s Hospital in Louisiana, was honoured for pioneering minimally invasive treatments for congenital heart disease. His work in the 1970s led to the development of the King–Mills Cardiac Umbrella, enabling atrial septal defect closure via catheter without open-heart surgery. The innovation significantly reduced surgical risks and recovery time, laying foundations for modern minimally invasive cardiac care and expanding access to life saving technology worldwide. Professor Dr. Walter C. Willett Professor Willett, a leading epidemiologist and nutrition scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was recognised for transformative research linking diet, lifestyle and chronic disease. His findings on the dangers of trans fats helped drive bans in many countries and informed global public health policy, while his work reshaped understanding of fat quality, sugar intake and disease risk. He later advanced the Planetary Health Diet, highlighting diet’s role in preventing chronic disease and promoting sustainability. The Prince Mahidol Award honours individuals whose outstanding contributions in medicine and public health have delivered lasting benefits to humanity.